A Matter of Time and Patience

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

            Six months of running, of hiding, of seclusion. Rowan and Ash were taking no chances. After the funeral they had disappeared. There was no way Cedar’s death was an accident and they knew exactly who did it but they had no idea why, or where the creep was. So they never went home, they never stayed still, and they never formed new relationships. They dropped off the grid, ceasing all phone, internet, and card use, getting paid for small jobs in cash. First it was a thrift store, then a diner, then a diner, and another diner. Moving from place to place they had covered more distance than ever before. Rowan had lost track of the state they were in and honestly couldn’t remember the name of the diner they were working at currently. They were all the same anyway so it really didn’t matter. Their apartment was a one room, run down thing with no electricity and the tap hadn’t worked in years but the two sisters spent all their time either working or sleeping before figuring out how to leave again so it didn’t matter. Now their faces were pale and there were constant shadows under their eyes. Small smiles and even smaller talk were all they graced the world with, the light gone from their once bright eyes.

            “Here’s your coffee sir,” Rowan said to a customer politely but in a dead voice. There was a throbbing behind her stale grey eyes and she knew it was only a matter of minutes before it would build into a full blown migraine. They had started after the phone call from Dis a life time ago and had become worse and more frequent after Cedar’s death. The worst part was she had run out of medication and there was no way to get a refill. It didn’t really make sense; she had had plenty a week ago but now the pills were gone. No point in worrying over it though. They were gone and she couldn’t get more so all the older sister could do was retreat to their apartment, cover her head, and wait until the pain passed, if she was lucky.

            With a tired sigh she put the customers’ money in the register before glancing up at the clock above the door just to see it open and bright daylight blind her for a moment. Oh yeah, this was going to be a bad one. “Hi, take a seat-” she called to the new customers but choked off. No, no it couldn’t be. Rowan shook her head and looked again, wincing as the movement jostled her head too much. The hair; the hair was too long so it couldn’t be them. Still eyeing them closely she called to Ash. The younger sister came out of the back with two plates. “One sec,” she answered, taking the orders to the appropriate table first before coming to her sisters side. “What is it?”

            Whispering, Rowan glanced towards the table in the back, gaging the youngers’ reaction. “No way,” Ash said shaking her head but Rowan heard the quaver in her voice. “No, they’re dead.”

            Rowan rolled her eyes and huffed, “Then you go get their orders because I’m not convinced.”

            It was Ash’s turn to roll her eyes but she took out her notebook and walked over to the table. Trying her best to act discreet Rowan retreated behind the counter and pretended to be busy wiping down the counter, glancing up occasionally but her head began to pound painfully and she knew she’d have to leave soon or suffer a migraine at work. She wasn’t aware she had stopped until Ash returned with the order. “Are you alright,” she asked?

            Rowan gave a frustrated snort. “No but it doesn’t matter. What about the look-a-likes? Are they…?”

            Ash bit her lip and shifted from foot to foot. “Well, I’m not sure. They look like them but at the same time….”

            “Not,” the older finished. Sighing she took the order and began pouring the coffee. “Really, just coffee?”

            “They seemed a little,” Ash hesitated before going on. “Guarded? Nervous?”